A presentation from the WCCA 2011 event held in Brisbane, Australia.

1. Controlled Traffic Farming
Productivity, sustainability and resilience
Outcome – better farming systems.
My proposition – for mechanised CA, do
controlled traffic FIRST
Dr Don Yule
www.ctfsolutions.com.au 1

2. Mechanised Cropping
What is a farming system?
• Everything the farmer does
• Involves the farm and the farmer
1. Controlled traffic
2. Designed field layouts
3. No cultivation
4. New spatial technologies
5. Measure to manage tools
6. Triple bottom line Outcomes 2

3. 1. Controlled Traffic
Manage machinery
Permanent wheel tracks and matching
machinery
1. Perfect job every time
2. Zonal management – wheel tracks,
rows, and inter-rows
3. Soil health (compaction); efficiencies
4. Everything is easier with Controlled
Traffic 3

4. Controlled Traffic
Perfect job, zonal management
Outcomes: soil health, efficiencies
4

5. 2. Designed field layouts
CT in the landscape
• Use controlled traffic as the drainage system
– down hill, prevent runoff concentration
• Manage erosion and waterlogging
• Outcome – Landscape health
5

6. Waterlogging control
CTF Layout using 1m pixel imagery and GPS topo
2004. Waterlogging, loss $56,000 2006. After drainage, cost $3,000.
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7. TRADITIONAL 100t/ha
Erosion control
CTF Response to
severe erosion event
1997
CTF 10t/ha
7

8. 3. No cultivation and
Controlled Traffic
• Accurate Spraying – no misses, no overlaps
• Access and timeliness
• Standing residue, inter-row sowing
• Outcomes – residue management, soil health
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9. Responses to these realities
Biological soil health
9

10. Controlled traffic allows standing
residues and inter-row sowing

11. 4. New spatial technologies
• Controlled Traffic needs accurate guidance
• Perfect match with 2cm GNSS auto-steer
• Controlled Traffic with guidance provides
2cm accurate spatial footprint
• Outcomes – access to and use of spatial
technologies
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12. GNSS Guidance
Radio
GNSS
antennae
Rover/tractor
Base station
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13. CTF and GNSS define the
on-farm spatial footprint
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14. 5. Automated Measure to
Manage tools
• 2cm spatial footprint allows automated,
digital, computer based data collection and
records
• Satellite, aerial or proximal 1m resolution
remote sensing, yield monitoring, GIS
• Internet access with mobile phones – from
machine to computer anywhere
• Automated on-farm R&D with strip trials
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15. 6. Farming System Outcomes
• Relevant data to assess farming system
performance and farmer management
• “Measure to Manage”
• Accurate, accessible and spatial farm records
at appropriate scales
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16. 6. Farming System Outcomes
Rainfall Use Efficiency
CTF
21t
8t
TRAD
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17. 6. Farming system Outcomes
Rainfall Use Efficiency
Post-beds
Pre-beds 11.6 kg/ha/mm
4.4 kg/ha/mm
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18. 6. Farming System Outcomes
Triple bottom line benefits
Bowman (2008) studied 16 farmers and
change on 4,250 ha, Darling Downs
• Soil erosion less by 195,000 tonnes/year (-90%)
• Diesel use from 338,000 to 130,000 L/yr (-60%)
• Nitrogen leaving farms from 119 to 9 t (-90%)
• Carbon dioxide loss from 1,199 to 373 t (-70%)
• Labour from 4,590 to 1,744 hours (-60%)
• Annual income $1,652,500 to $2,386,230 (+44%)
• Gross Margin $547,279 to $918,366 (+68%)
For mechanised CA, do controlled traffic
FIRST 18